New year’s visits to shrines and temples: Jan 1-4, 2020

The year of 2020 started.

I made a series of visits to shrines and temples (hatsumode) to pray a happiness in this year.

There were long queues in most places, I found.

Here are scenes of hatsumode:

Setagaya Hachiman Shrine (See also the top photo). 

I visited there on Jan. 1.

Gotokuji Temple (Jan. 1) (See also the 2nd photo)

Rokusho Shrine (Jan. 3)

It is a small local shrine in Setagaya City. A Shinto priest was walking in a traditional costume.

Kanda Myojin Shrine (Jan. 4) (See also the 3rd photo)

It is one of popular shrines in Tokyo. People needed to wait two hours in a line to make their prays.

Lucky cards were tied on special shelves.

I found people enjoying their drinks after making prays. 

Yoyogi Hachiman Shrine (Jan. 4)

I had the impression that the queues of new- year's shrine and temple visits (hatsumode) are getting longer every year. Which may reflect the changes of life styles of Japanese people. Aging of the society may lie behind.